Iridescent
by SuperDuperLights
Summary: Jenny Clark figures that the summer spent with her best friend, Maggie, will be like it always is: boring. Countless days spent in kiddie pools and air-conditioned basements. But when Maggie develops a crush on Scott McCall, the rest of their summer and sophomore year turns into everything but boring.
1. July

Chapter 1: July

The peak of summer heat hits on July 18th. The weatherman on channel 5 wipes his brow with a handkerchief and promises rain by the end of the week. My dad takes a look at Maggie and me sprawled on the floor and asks if we can make it until then. We let out a groan in response and spend the rest of the day in my slightly cooler basement, flipping a coin to decide who has to go upstairs and get popsicles.

On July 20th Maggie and I put on our swimsuits and we fill up the kid swimming pool my younger sister Lucy got for her birthday a few years ago. We barely fit but it's cold and Lucy brings us lemonade before announcing she has a movie date and to "not wait up." She's barely thirteen though so I know Dad told her to be home by 8. I lazily swat at a fly and Maggie sprays hose water in the air so it falls on us.

Maggie wakes up next to me on July 22nd and says she refuses to spend another day in a kiddie pool.

"Do you or do you not have a boyfriend who has a very nice, very cold pool, Jenny Clark?" Maggie demands, gathering her long blonde hair into a bun.

I stare at my ceiling and exhale slowly, "We're in a fight and I told you that he has to apologize."

"You're in a fight because his mom thinks you're a raunchy slut because she caught you in the middle of giving her son a hickey. You should be the one apologizing for scarring her."

"Scarring her?! I had all my clothes on!"

"You told me your shirt and bra were off and I meant you emotionally scarred her because she heard her son moaning."

"Evan doesn't moan: he sighs."

"Jenny! If I don't get to go swimming, I'm going to die. Literally die. I'll be dead. Your best friend will be de-"

A clap of thunder silences Maggie mid-rant. We look at each other with barely concealed hope, and I slowly reach out and open the window beside my bed. A downpour of rain breaks our silence and Maggie thanks Jesus for ending the heat.

Midnight brings July 23rd and I flip through the TV channels, looking for anything to hold my interest. I'm bored out of my mind as Maggie sits in the kitchen painting Lucy's nails.

"Anyways, then Rachel told Laurie that I went to the movies with Jake and so Laurie told Michelle, who's liked Jake since 6th grade so I show up at Natalie's birthday party and no one would talk to me except Julia and that's only because she's like _in love_ with Jake's best friend Mark…" Lucy stops for a breath and I peek over the top of the couch to see if she's died from air loss. She hasn't, "…Mark looks like a horse though so I don't know why she's interested," Lucy sighs as though it was all a great tragedy. The thing is she lives for drama among her friends and has a new "tragedy" every time she seeks out Maggie and me. It just so happens that this week, the drama is centered around her.

Lucy and I look alike with our big brown eyes, dimples, and little noses. However, Lucy gets a lot of good genes from Mom, like her straight auburn hair that Maggie says she'd kill for ("Literally kill for. I would _kill_ somebody to have that color"); and the cutest little feet that allows her to borrow Mom's old high heels. Lucy's good looks don't stop there, though, as she's got Dad's high cheekbones and Grandma Clark's long eyelashes. She's also got pouty lips, but I think she's just perfected them to look that way.

Maggie's in love with Lucy and since we were little girls, she's insisted on taking Lucy with us everywhere so she won't feel left out. Maggie treats her like the little sister she never had (which she does have, but Molly would rather stick needles in her eyes than allow Maggie to fawn over her). Mags braids Lucy's hair, listens to middle school drama, and taught Lucy how to apply eyeliner. When my mom died, Maggie stepped in to make sure Lucy knew everything she needed to know. My baby sister, who had boys lining up for her by the time she was ten, had nothing to learn from me. My dark brown hair is barely manageable on a good day, and is a bird's nest after swim practice, and the only boy I've ever dated is Evan. Maggie can count on two hands the number of boys in our grade and above that she **hasn't **kissed, and has a talent for make up and clothes.

Maggie's my best friend because she cares so much for my family and me. She bought a week worth of chocolate when Lucy started her period, and held my hand at my mom's funeral, and cooked Dad's favorite meal for three days once Mom was hospitalized. Maggie is sweet and Maggie is family.

"…but I don't care too much because Jake likes me and told everyone that I'm better than all of them, which I totally am."

Evan calls July 25th and says he's throwing a pool party today, starting at seven. I tell him Maggie will be thrilled and then I casually ask if his mom will be there. He laughs loudly into the phone and says I won't be allowed over if she was.

7:23 p.m.

Maggie and I arrive fashionably late; me in an old green two-piece with jean shorts and Maggie in a red bikini, her long hair blowing in the wind.

7:25 p.m.

Must ask Maggie has she gets her hair to blow in wind.

7:27 p.m.

Evan kisses me then throws me in the pool.

7:28 p.m.

Managed to lift myself out of pool and proceed to pummel Evan. Maggie cheers and grabs two drinks for us.

7:32 p.m.

I realize I'm wearing soaking shorts so I slip out of them and hang them on a fence in Evan's backyard.

8:05 p.m.

Maggie has disappeared.

8:13 p.m.

Maggie has emerged from a linen closet… Sean Morrley from the lacrosse team exits 10 seconds later, looking like Christmas came early.

8:30 p.m.

I end up by the food with Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski. They're on the lacrosse team with Evan but look very out of place at a party.

8:34 p.m.

Scott and Stiles look very uncomfortable when Maggie tries to dance inappropriately with me. I tell her so and she wiggles her eyebrows at me before talking loud enough for Scott and Stiles to hear every explicit detail of her time in the linen closet.

9:45 p.m.

Lydia Martin shows up with vodka.

9:50 p.m.

I tell Lydia the party started almost three hours ago

"So?"

"Isn't that a bit too fashionably late?"

"So?"

I take a bottle of vodka from her and go and find Evan.

10:10 p.m.

Evan and I try and stop Maggie from her 8th shot.

10:11 p.m.

We fail.

10:24 p.m.

Everyone is drunk except Jackson Whittemore and me. He claims he has to get up early to practice lacrosse but I know he's just afraid he'll throw up like he did at the last party.

10:40 p.m.

On a search for Evan who disappeared 20 minutes ago looking for Cheetos.

11:02 p.m.

Lydia stops Maggie from trying to make out with Scott.

11:05 p.m.

Maggie gives Scott her phone number. Stiles looks at the slip of paper in awe.

11:18 p.m.

I am only a little tipsy when I catch Stiles and Scott sneaking out of the party. The say its time to get home so I surprise them with a group hug.

July 26th I wake up on Evans' family room floor with a pillow, next to a sleeping Maggie who keeps mumbling. She talks in her sleep, a fact I found out at our first sleepover in second grade when I awoke to her voice and thought she was possessed. I yelled so loud that in under 30 seconds, her parents and all 5 siblings were in her room, each with a baseball bat.

"Mmm yes… Scott…"

Lydia's strawberry blonde head pops up on the other side of Maggie and we stare at each other in shocked silence.

"Did she just moan his name?"

"Yep," I say.

Lydia looks horrified when she says, "Ew."

"They didn't even make out…"

"Yeah, you can thank me for that at any time."

I roll my eyes at her and stand up. I have to maneuver over tons of sleeping teenagers and I almost fall into the fireplace but I'm determined to get to the fridge. On my relentless pursuit for strawberries, I fail to notice a pair of flip-flops. I trip and slide to the entryway of the kitchen.

"So she was in his room all night?" I hear an excited whisper ask.

"Yeah and Katie said she heard banging," the two voices giggle, "who do you think is going to be the one to tell Jenny her boyfriend had sex with Olivia?"


	2. Tears and Burgers

Chapter 2:

Olivia Davis is the most mediocre person I have ever met. She is so average. Yes, she's popular and a cheerleader, but she blends in. She's part of a very pretty clique of girls that Lydia could probably lead if she didn't have any self-respect or brains. Olivia has shiny, straight hair and perky boobs and white teeth, but talking to her is like talking to a wall. However, it seems I have greatly underestimated her. She might not be so dull, she might actually be evil.

Olivia Davis has slept with my boyfriend and Olivia Davis must die.

Maggie is pulling her hair into a bun as she catches up to me in Evan's driveway. "You know Kelsey makes up stuff all the time, she's a little twat."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Maggie grabs my hand, "I'm going to kill Evan."

"Get in line."

Maggie lives down the street from Evan, so we walk back in a dejected crawl. The heat isn't bad at 9 a.m., but Maggie continuously fans herself. When we finally make it to her driveway, I notice I'm only wearing my green bathing suit; my shorts are still hanging on a fence in Evan's backyard. I tell Maggie and she volunteers to go get them. I reply that Olivia can have them, considering she has my boyfriend now. Then I promptly burst into tears.

I hide under my covers and spend the next four days avoiding everyone.

On the first day of my isolation, Maggie comes into my room and drops my shorts on a chair. She waits until I lower the blankets off my face, and she says, "I went back to his house as soon as I made sure you got in okay… Jenny, I wish you could've seen it… Olivia has a Lydia-hand-shaped bruise on her face." I start to smile and then remember when Evan first asked me out. I start sobbing and Maggie runs downstairs. Thinking she's abandoned me, I let out a loud wail. She comes back with a bowl of strawberry ice cream.

The next day, I stare blankly at the ceiling. Lucy comes in at noon and pats my knee, "Boys are simple-minded creatures. They don't appreciate a good thing. They're dumb. No one deserves you. You're too awesome." I stare at her, and she sighs, "I figured that won't do much, which is why I had this idea," She pulls a lighter out of her pocket, "to burn everything he's ever gave you." We spend the next two hours burning every little note, stuffed animal, clothing item, and we crack every mixed tape.

The third day, my dad enters my room, carrying a stack of DVD's. He nods towards my laptop and I lift it onto the bed, placing it between us as he sits down. We both get emotional as we watch my two favorite movies. Emotional as in: I'm sobbing hysterically when Jack Dawson dies, and my dad wipes his eyes at the ending of _Pretty Woman_. He leaves me with a box of tissues and brings me a new bowl of ice cream every thirty minutes.

My fourth and final day alone in my room (well I haven't **technically** been alone as everyone keeps interrupting my mourning period), Lydia bounces into my room with Maggie trailing behind her. Lydia takes one look at my unwashed hair, footie pajamas, dripping nose, and scoffs.

"Jenny," Lydia begins in a loud voice, "if I haven't seen you in the last three days because of that scummy, ugly, little ex-boyfriend of yours, I might scream."

"Lydia," I whine, "I'm sad. Go away if you can't talk quietly."

"You're being pathetic. I always say the mourning period for a boy should never exceed twenty-four hours."

Maggie rolls her eyes, "Lydia, you've been dating Jackson for a year, you've never been broken up with, and I'm pretty sure you've never cried over any boy."

Lydia blinks and stares at Maggie like she hasn't got a clue, "I don't let boys hurt me and I don't hurt myself by crying over them. So, Jenny," Lydia looks at me with a smile and says, "it's time to get out of your room. We're going out."

Lydia forces me into the shower and tells me I better not waste my precious ten minutes I'm being given to shower on crying. When I emerge from the comfort of warm water, my room looks like a tornado has swept through. I stare open mouth as Maggie sees my expression and points at Lydia, who is putting together the final outfit for me. Lydia notices me and says, "There you are! Put this on." She shoves a strapless black dress at me that I recognize as Maggie's that I stole two years ago, hoop earrings and blue flats.

"No way," I respond and navigate my way to my dresser. Slipping on a thong and bra, I point out a pair of leggings on my bed that Maggie throws to me. Lydia opens her mouth to protest and I cut her off, "Lydia, I haven't had anything to eat in four days besides ice cream. Maggie and I are going to go get burgers. If you want to come with us," I continue as I yank on blue tank top, "you're welcome to."

Lydia ends up driving us to get food, as neither Maggie nor I have our licenses yet. Lydia blasts the radio and doesn't talk to us. She acts like she's put out that we didn't go out like she planned, but I know she's happy to be with us. Lydia doesn't have a lot of girl friends. The girls she does talk to are only graced with her presence because they're in her social circle. She spends most of her time with Jackson. Maggie and I wormed our way into her heart by not acting as if she's too good for us, like everyone else does. We use to annoy the shit out of her, but now I like to think she enjoys our friendship.

We pull up to the burger shack on the outskirts of town, and Maggie hops out of the backseat to get us a table. Lydia makes a move to get out and I rest my hand on her shoulder, "Hey Lydia, thanks for coming to knock me out of my misery. You're a good friend."

Lydia shrugs my hand off of her, and mumbles, "Whatever, you really needed a shower."

I laugh and we get out of the car to go meet Maggie. I hold the door open for Lydia, and take in the scene happening in front of me. Maggie is sitting with Scott and Stiles. I look at Lydia who is reading the menu at the counter and has yet to notice Maggie's seating choice. Maggie notices me and waves, which cause the two boys to turn around. Scott smiles at me shyly but Stiles is looking past me. I turn around and see Lydia. I turn back to Stiles, who looks shocked by her presence. I walk over to Maggie as a ringtone goes off.

"Hello?" Lydia holds up a finger to me as I turn around and see her move back outside.

"Was that Lydia?" Stiles asks me as I sit down.

"Yes…" I say, eyeing him warily. Great: another Lydia admirer. I glance at Maggie, who's staring at Scott with wide eyes.

"Hi, Jenny," Scott's voice causes me to look at him, "sorry about Stiles here… he's a little overexcited."

"Oh, it's fine…" I glance at Stiles, who's looking out a window at Lydia, "Maggie!" She jumps at my voice and tears her eyes away from Scott. "Let's go order!" She smiles at Scott and Stiles (who's still looking at Lydia) and gets up to follow me.

"Why are you sitting with them?" I ask, elbowing her once I see she's glancing back at their table.

"What?" She asks innocently, "Am I not allowed to make new friends?"

"Not when one is creepily obsessed with Lydia, and the other you can't stop staring at."

She rolls her eyes, "I was not staring at him, oh my god, Jenny, don't be so dramatic." I fix her with my don't-lie-to-me-Maggie-I'm-not-dumb glare. She smiles, "Okay, fine, yes, I was staring at him. Isn't he the cutest thing? He's like a puppy!"

"Is that even a compliment?"

"Jenny, you know how much I've always wanted a puppy! Please let me have him!"

I look at her in shock, "You can't just 'have' someone, Maggie. He's a person, not the puppy you've always wanted."

"I didn't mean it like that! He's really sweet. He's been texting me ever since Ev- you-know-who's party and he told me I was really pretty," Maggie defends.

"Maggie, you are really pretty. Just because a boy tells you so doesn't mean he's anything special," Maggie nods seriously, and I turn towards the cashier, who has been staring at Maggie the whole time we've been talking, "I'll have four bacon burgers and a large order of fries."

"Does Lydia even like bacon burgers?" Maggie asks, looking out the window for our friend.

"I don't care, those are for me."

"$14.84," The cashier says before turning towards Maggie, "Maggie Hollifer, right? I'm Connor. I sat behind you in math class last year. Do you want anything? On the house. Maybe we could sit down and talk."

Maggie smiles vaguely at him and says, "Sorry, I'm with someone." She races back to Scott's table.

I look at her in shock. Did she not hear my inspirational speech? I glance at the cashier, who looks crestfallen, "Can you add a strawberry milkshake to that order?"


	3. Pickles and giggles

Chapter 3:

Maggie is currently bouncing on her toes and applying mascara: a risky combination but she doesn't seem concerned. She's singing along to the radio and has checked her phone five times in the last twenty minutes. I've asked her twice already to tell me what she's so excited about but she just smiles wide and says, "Soon, young Jenny, soon you will know." She's being very bizarre. I exchange what-the-fuck glances with Lydia, who actually isn't even paying attention to either of us and is instead playing games on her new phone.

"Lydia, can you put the fucking phone down for like four seconds?" I say, calm and rational as ever.

Lydia pauses her game long enough to glare and say, "Fuck off."

Everyone is off their rocker and I, for one, will not sit for this. So I stand, stretch, and leave Maggie's room to go find food and good company.

My search for food ends with me staring at an (almost) empty fridge. I grab a lone jar of pickles and wonder if the whole world has gone mad. Maggie's house is always stocked to the max; her mom prides herself on supplying her children with a variety of food choices. Where are my strawberries? She always buys some for me.

"Mom's been working a lot lately," a voice interrupts my pity party. Maggie's younger brother, Kevin, stands in the doorway of the kitchen and looks just as depressed by the lack of food as I feel. He sighs and says, "She's left us all to starve."

Kevin is fourteen and entering his freshman year in the fall. He is taller than me now, with the Hollifer family's signature blonde hair and green eyes. He's a cool kid, very relaxed and chill (Maggie, Lydia, and I determined he's so chill because of the amount of pot we found in his room a few weeks ago).

"I need strawberries if I'm going to have to go back upstairs to hyperactive Maggie and moody Lydia."

Kevin nods, "Yeah, Maggie's being super weird today. It's not like she hasn't had boys over before."

I stare at him with wide eyes, "What?"

"What?" Kevin looks confused. "I said, 'it's not like Maggie hasn't had boys over before.'"

"What boys?"

"I don't know," Kevin looks a bit shocked by my interrogation but I have bigger things to worry about than Kevin seeing this side of me. I stare at him and wait for him to continue, "Some kid named Scott? And his friend."

Damn it, Maggie. This is why she's so excited. So much for a girl's night. Now Maggie's going to try and seduce Scott and that weird Stiles kid is going to try to talk to Lydia. I'll be all alone… I guess this is good practice for the rest of my life. I trudge past Kevin and make my way back to Maggie's room. Opening the door to her room, I flop face first on her bed next to Lydia and whine loudly, "Why?"

"Why what?" Lydia asks, sticking her tongue out in concentration. What is she even playing? I lift my head a little to glance at her screen. Some dress-up game. Seriously, Lydia…

"Why," I begin, shooting a glance at Maggie, who is now rifling through her shirts, "is our dear friend Maggie having two boys over who we aren't even friends with?" Maggie shoots me a smile and opens her mouth to respond.

Lydia speaks first, "The real problem is that two boys are coming over and you look like _that_."

I glance down at my jean shorts and coffee-and-strawberry-and-other-food stained large t-shirt.

"Okay," Maggie looks at me, "Jenny, I'm sorry I didn't tell you they were coming over," she now stares at Lydia, "and Lyds, I'm sorry that I may have promised Stiles that he'd get to hang out with you if he came over with Scott."

Lydia looks puzzled, "Who's Stiles?"

I sigh, "Stiles Stilinski," No reaction. "That kid that always drives past your house when we're swimming, and was also staring at you through the window when we got burgers the other day."

"Oh," Lydia says.

"Yeah, so I assume I'll be a fifth wheel for the night..." I mumble, glaring at Maggie. She actually looks apologetic, but it's too late now.

"No, you won't. I have to go meet Jackson."

"But, Lydia!" Maggie looks hysterical, "I promised Stiles you'd be here!"

"Not my problem," Lydia shrugs and picks up her purse, "have fun! Don't do anything I won't do." She bounces away and out of Maggie's room, closing the door behind her.

"Ugh, what do I do now?" Maggie whines.

I have no sympathy, "I don't know… maybe next time you shouldn't make your best friend a fifth wheel when she just got out of a relationship and then get upset when your plans don't go the way you want them to."

Maggie sits on the bed next to me and starts playing with my hair, "I'm sorry, Jenny, really. I should've thought of you and I'm a bitch for not. I just really like Scott and he's so different from all those other annoying boys in our grade."

"It's okay," I mumble into her pillow.

"Great!" All the happiness has returned to Maggie's voice when she says, "So, I'm going to need you to get some cute clothes and a blonde wig on!" I shove her off the bed.

To say Stiles is sad Lydia isn't with us when Maggie and I greet Scott and him at the door is an understatement. I almost feel bad for him when the grin slides off his face when he doesn't see Lydia's curls. But he's laughing and making jokes by the time I bring popcorn into the family room a few moments later, so I figure it's a good thing he bounces back quickly. Lydia probably won't be living up to his fantasies any time soon, if ever. Maggie ends up putting some shark movie into the DVD player and sits next to Scott on the couch. She leaves minimal room between them and Scott looks unsure of what he's supposed to do and ends up sitting with his hands in his lap. Stiles and I end up on the floor next to each other and share a look when Maggie screams as a shark appears on screen and she hides her face in Scott's chest.

I roll my eyes and lean closer to Stiles to whisper, "Maggie loves shark movies, and I've never heard her scream when we've watched this alone."

Stiles grins at me and whispers back, "Sorry, what was that? I'm too busy trying not to laugh at the look on Scott's face."

We both turn our heads and look at Scott. His face is a mix of confusion, happiness, and fear. Maggie's half on his lap and he's stuck with his hands spread out, not knowing where to put them. Stiles and I look at each other and then look quickly away so we don't laugh. The giggles start coming out of me and won't stop, so Stiles takes it upon himself to throw a nearby blanket on me and pushes me so I'm lying on the ground. I don't know what he was trying to accomplish but now I'm suppressing so much laughter that my whole body is shaking. I sit up and see that Stiles has excused himself and is now laughing openly in the kitchen. Maggie glares at me and nods her head towards the kitchen.

I sprint into the kitchen and accidently knock into Stiles. We steady ourselves and have to look away from each other's faces before a new round of laughter starts.

"Is there anything to eat besides popcorn?" Stiles asks, resting his elbows on the counter and leaning forward.

I stand on the other side of the island and copy his pose, "Hmm…," I ponder and make my way to the fridge, "would you like a pickle?" I pull out the jar and place it in front of Stiles. Our laughter brings Maggie into the kitchen and she shushes us with anger. Once she's gone, we sit on the ground and eat pickles, swapping stories of our two friends embarrassing past dates. When I'm done telling Stiles about the time Maggie brought me along for a date to a petting zoo, which involved Maggie losing a glove and the boy crying after a goat rammed his privates, Stiles says, "Oh, that's nothing. One time, both Scott and I forgot our wallets when we went to the movies, and he asked the girl to pay for all three of us. She hit him with her purse and called his mom to tell her how much of a gentleman her son _wasn't_."

I laugh and say, "Oh no, I got something better. On the first date with my boyfrie-, I mean, um, my ex-boyfriend, um," I stutter and suddenly feel embarrassed for bringing up a boy who probably everyone knows cheated on me. I play with the lid of the pickle jar and contemplate rolling away to the safety of Maggie's bed.

"Oh, yeah, Evan Mann," I look up from the lid to Stiles. He crosses his arms over his chest and stares at our reflections in the oven's window, "what an asshole. You can do a lot better, Jenny."

This statement, said to me a ton of times already, seems so much more sincere coming from Stiles, who barely knows me.

"Thank you," I say. A smile forms on my lips, and Stiles, seeing it in the reflection, turns his head to look at me. He grins back.

"Oh, thanks so much for holding me during the movie, Scott!" Maggie's says, as Scott and her enter the kitchen, "I don't know why I picked such a scary movie."

Stiles looks at me and lets out a loud laugh that sends me into fit of laughter.


	4. Camping Part 1

Chapter 4:

August is a hot, lazy month. The air is heavy and no one is seen outside unless they're wearing a bathing suit. In the beginning of the month, the majority of my time is spent in Lydia's pool. She talks my ear off about who's dating who and the Quantum Theory but it's a small price to pay. It's too hot to be alive, and I only move in a slow crawl and snarl like a dog when my dad tells me to stop being so dramatic. My time in Lydia's pool is short lived as she leaves August 10th to go to some math camp for two weeks. She makes Maggie and I promise not to tell anyone where she's going and when we ask what to say when people wonder where she is, she says to tell them that she's finally been discovered and is residing in Hollywood. As if. I amuse myself by telling anyone who asks that Lydia is getting surgery because she's gotten so constipated.

Once Lydia leaves, I find myself in the company of Maggie, Scott, and Stiles. Maggie brings them everywhere with her and the four of us end up at my house more often than not. Lucy complains about the lack of food, but doesn't get too upset as she enjoys looking at Stiles. On a number of occasions, I wake up at noon, stumble my way down to the kitchen and find that Lucy has trapped Stiles into listening to one of her dramatic stories. Maggie and Scott are usually on my couch and I don't ask what they're doing (though Maggie tells me all about it later).

August 19th, a few days before Lydia returns, thank God, Maggie bounces into my house while Lucy and I are watching re-runs of Full House. "Hi Maggie!" Lucy squeals, looking up at Maggie from her position on the couch. There is so much enthusiasm and admiration in her voice that I have to restrain myself from puking. I'm getting a little annoyed by Maggie's constant presence in my house, and I might like Scott and Stiles, but that doesn't mean I want them around 24/7, eating my food and making my sister like them more than me.

"Hey Lucy!" Maggie is all smiles, "Guess what, Jenny?"

I continue to eat my Frosted Flakes and I mumble through a mouthful, "What?"

"It's time for the annual Maggie-and-Jenny-and-other-Hollifer-family-members -summer-camping-trip!"

"Great," I sigh, "I'm so excited." I wave my finger around in a whoop-dee-do fashion and Maggie plants herself on the couch and tries to snuggle into my side.

"And guess whaaaaaaaat? I'm inviting Scott and Stiles!" Of course she is.

Every summer since before fifth grade, I've been invited along to Maggie's family's camping trip. They pack enough food to feed an army, attach their boat to one of the two cars driven into the state of California camping grounds, and divide two tents among their family of eight plus me. At the start of the annual camping tradition, everyone came. But as the years go by, most of Maggie's family comes up with a reason to not attend. Mr. and Mrs. Hollifer claim to be "too old" but I know that they just enjoy having the house to themselves for the weekend; and once more of Maggie's siblings started staying back too, they've booked a hotel for three days and ignore the fact that they have children.

Maggie's siblings are unpredictable when it comes to whether or not they want to go. This year, Maggie tells me, her oldest brother Kyle and his girlfriend Jacquelyn will be the ones coming with us and driving the boat. They've been dating for six years, since they were seniors in high school. I've learned over the years that they need to have their own tent or else I'll be severely grossed out. Adam, who has recently turned 21, is using his time this summer to help build houses in under privileged countries. "In other words," Maggie laughs, "he's building houses during the day, and partying with fellow do-gooders at night." I'm a bit disappointed by this news because I've been in love with Adam since I realized boys don't have cooties. I insist on sleepovers at Maggie's when he's home.

Sara, who is starting college in the fall, hates bugs and the outdoors and doesn't see the point in going camping as a vacation. She slams the door in Maggie's face when Maggie says, "You just don't want to come because you want to spend all your time with your five boyfriends." Sara is even more unbelievably gorgeous than Maggie, and the two of them have broken more hearts than their Dad would like to believe. Maggie refuses to introduce Scott to Sara and won't admit how relieved she is that Sara won't be coming with us.

Kevin makes some excuse about having to get in shape to join the track team but I think he just wants to use the opportunity of the house not being supervised so he can smoke all day.

Maggie and I step into her youngest sibling's room with caution and find Molly reading on her window seat. She looks the picture of innocence, with her hair shining from the sunlight coming in through the window. Molly has recently turned 11 and I can already tell she's going to be just as, if not more, pretty as Maggie and Sara.

I clear my throat to get her attention, and Molly looks up, glaring. We usually only talk to Molly when she yells at us for trying to give her a makeover. "What do you want?"

"We're putting everything in the cars to go camping, do you have a suitcase or are you staying here all weekend?" Maggie asks.

"I already put it in the car," Molly says, turning her attention back to her book, "You can leave my room now."

Maggie slams the door when we exit the room. This will be a fun weekend.

…

Kyle and Jacquelyn wake up before the sun and take Molly with them and drive the car with the boat attached to the back. Maggie wakes me up a little past seven and waits until I'm sitting up before she jumps in the shower. I search the bed for my phone and end up leaning my body too much off the bed that I fall off and land elbow first.

Maggie rolls her eyes when she walks in the room ten minutes later and sees me curled up in a ball. "It's just a bruise!" She says when she sees the huge blue, green and purple bump that is taking over my arm. I snatch a towel out of her closet and make my way to the bathroom. I take extremely long showers and by the time I'm out and ready to go, Maggie is impatiently waiting in the car for me.

We roll up in front of Scott's house at 8:30, where both he and Stiles slept the night before. They look like they're sleeping standing up and Maggie hits the horn twice, making Scott jump and fall over. Stiles drags his feet to the car and flings open the backseat door. He is already asleep by the time Scott climbs in beside him. Scott snores and Stiles drools and constantly mumbles. I look at Maggie frequently with a look that says what a great catch the two of them are. The two of them conveniently wake up when Maggie pulls into the McDonald's drive-thru.

When we finally arrive at the campground, it's past eleven. Maggie blames it on my small bladder and I blame it on the fact that she had to stop at every exit that had a Starbucks. The good thing about taking so long is that when we arrive, the tents are already set up and everything is in place. No one greets us when we shift the car into park and the four of us climb out, stretching our legs. Kyle and Jacquelyn have claimed the smaller tent as theirs and have set it up away from the other tent. I make my way into the bigger tent and set my sleeping bag on the other side away from Molly, who is known to kick and wildly flail about in her sleep. Maggie, Scott, and Stiles come into the tent after me, and Maggie sends a glare my way when she realizes that she has to take responsibility and sleep next to her kicker of a sister. She looks happy when Scott puts his stuff next to hers. I'm unrolling my sleeping bag when I hear a thud next to me. Stiles has plopped on the ground next to me and fluffing his pillow up. There is a large space between his and Scott's stuff. Stiles stuff is noticeably close to mine and I send him a confused look.

"I don't want to be anywhere near the two of them once it gets dark out."

"Point taken."


	5. Camping Part 2

"This fucking sucks." A clap of thunder surrounds us and puts emphasis on the statement.

"Molly," Maggie scolds.

"What? This sucks," Molly throws her cards in the air and flops back on Maggie's sleeping bag.

"I don't know Moll," I say, reaching my foot out to nudge her side, "nothing better than being stuck in a tent during a thunderstorm, listening to your brother have sex." Scott laughs from next to Maggie.

Molly looks at me with a glare, "I dunno, _Jen_. I can think of a lot of things I'd rather be doing than kicking your ass at Spoons."

"Molly Hollifer, if you swear one more time…"

"What? You'll put me in a time-out?"

"Yeah," I say, "we'll put the _dog_ outside."

"Jenny," Maggie warns, leaning over and pulling my ponytail. I slap her hand away and move closer to Stiles, who looks like he's asleep.

There is a moan from the tent next to us and Molly stands up, her head skimming the top of the tent, "That's it! I'm going in the car," She stuffs her feet in her shoes aggressively and leaves the tent. Rain soars in and Maggie struggles to close the door against the wind.

"She's literally such a brat," Maggie grumbles as she sits back down between Scott and me. We nod in agreement and Stiles flops back on Scott's sleeping bag and passes out.

"Wanna draw on his face?" I ask, grinning at Maggie. I'm ignored as they only have eyes for each other as Scott puts his arm around her in comfort. I restrain myself from rolling my eyes; as if Maggie's so devastated by Molly storming away. I make a face at Maggie and whine, "Mags lets draw on Stiles face!" No reaction as Maggie cuddles into Scott's side, "Maggie! Mags. Maggeroni. Magalicious. Maggie moo moo." They continue ignoring me and giggle with each other. Wow. I wonder if I was ever like this with Evan…

Nawh, probably not.

I crawl over to where Stiles' head is laying on Scott's pillow. "Stiles," I whisper, "Stiles, wake up." I poke his side and he squirms away. "Stiles…" He doesn't even move. I get right in his face and yell, "WAKE UP! MAGGIE AND SCOTT ARE DOING IT!" Maggie and Scott split apart, like they've been caught in the act of something they aren't doing. My screaming words get a response out of Stiles as he shoots up and knocks his head against mine. I fall backwards, and Stiles leans forward, both of us gripping our heads.

"What was that for?!" Stiles complains, holding his head with one hands and pointing at me with the other.

"What's going on over there?!" Kyle's voice booms from the tent next door.

"What's going on over _there_?!" I yell back. Maggie hits me over the head and stifles a laugh.

"Nothing!" Jacquelyn squeaks in response.

"Doesn't sound like nothing!" Molly yells from the car.

"Everyone shut up! I have a concussion! I'm dying!"

"Stiles, quit being so dramatic, oh my God."

"I hate you, Jenny."

…

The storm clears up around 4 and we all climb out of our tents and do a bit of dramatic stretching. I lead the group of us in some yoga for a couple minutes and when I turn around Jacquelyn is the only one following along, and Stiles is staring at my butt. I blush and avoid his shocked face at being caught by making conversation with Maggie. Scott avoids Kyle's glare while Jacquelyn avoids Molly's judgmental looks.

"Can we go on the boat now, please Kyle, please, please, please?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever. Get in your suits." Molly and I cheer at the same time and hop into the tent to change. Maggie follows behind us and mumbles under her breath about Kyle being 'mean to Scott.'

By the time we get into the water, its past 5 and getting cold. I embrace the weather and stand with my arms open as Kyle speeds away from shore. Scott throws food at me so I'll sit down and I eat the fallen chips happily. Kyle goes around the lake once and then comes to a stop in the middle, yelling, "Everyone out!" Jacquelyn cannonballs into the water and Molly makes Kyle throw her in. She shrieks before she hits the water and comes up spitting out whatever's managed to get in her mouth.

"Is it cold?" Maggie is already shivering and daintily sticks a toe over the edge.

"I don't know, you tell us," Kyle says and picks her up. There is a bit of a fight in which Maggie flails around and tries to bite her brothers' shoulders and hands. It only lasts about four seconds and then Kyle throws her despite her threats and pleas. She comes up spitting out water, her hair covering her face in an angry mess of dark blonde curls, and starts to yell until Molly swims up behind her and dunks her.

"She's much more fun when she isn't talking," I say to Scott and Stiles. They both look afraid of Maggie as she comes above the surface again, this time pointing fingers and swimming to get back on the boat.

"I swear to God above, if someone forces me under water one more freakin' time," She pulls herself up on the boat and ends up looking like a swim suit model, "I will kill you all! All of you! Dead! Yes, that includes you, Jenny! I see you laughing! I will suffocate you in your sleep!" She finishes her angry rant by stomping around on the boat and wringing out her hair. She narrows her eyes and says, "Scott McCall, if you do what I think you're ab-"

Everyone laughs when Scott cuts her off by shoving her back in the lake.

…

After we sing our full of campfire songs and Molly starts a fight with the people on the campsite next to us, Kyle says some lame excuse to go to bed and Jacquelyn follows. Molly pulls earphones out of her sweatshirts pocket and goes to read in the car. The four of us teenagers sit around the dying bonfire and Maggie pulls out a flask. It's so uncalled for that I stutter for a second. "What… How… Where do you even get that…?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at her.

"Kyle."

"Figures."

We pass it around the four of us once and then Maggie yawns loudly, "Oh, I am just _so_ tired." And then she throws Scott a look that screams _FOLLOW ME INTO THE TENT._

"OH, ye- yeah me too. So tired. Wow. What a long day. Wow." They both stand abruptly and Scott makes a motion for Maggie to lead the way and he follows behind her, tripping on his feet. He turns around and makes a startled face at Stiles, who looks just as bewildered but gives a thumbs up. They go into the tent and I look into my lap, realizing I'm still holding onto the alcohol. I hold it up for Stiles to see and he shrugs. I take a long sip and pass it to him.

"So…" He begins, dragging out the "o" before taking a sip, "they're fun to have around, huh?"

"Yes, I always like when they leave us to go _do _other things."

We laugh and there's a moment of silence as Stiles passes the alcohol back to me, "He really likes her, you know."

I nod, "She really likes him, too. Actually," I laugh, "he's all she talks about."

"He's a little star struck, to be honest," Stiles widens his eyes and continues in a high, awestruck voice, "_Maggie Hollifer. The prettiest girl in Beacon Hills."_

I snort, "Don't let Lydia hear you say that."

Stiles face becomes serious in an instant, "You won't tell her I said that, will you?"

"Stiles," I roll my eyes, "Lydia never listens to a word I say. She's too busy brushing her hair. Don't sweat it." I lean over and pat his hand. There's a spark between our hands and Stiles jumps in his seat, pulling his hand away and I retract my hand quickly. I look up and see his eyes trying to stare into my soul. His really nice brown eyes.

"Wow, I'm really tired," I let out a nervous laugh, "I guess I'll break those love birds apart." I jump out of my seat and burst into the tent and let out a yelp. Maggie is sitting on Scott's lap in only her Victoria Secret matching black bra and underwear. They both look at me in shock and Maggie scrambles to find her shirt. I hear Stiles sputtering behind me: he had come to see what made me yelp.

"Dude!" Stiles shouts at Scott, trying not to look at Maggie, but failing and looking anyway.

"Dude!" Scott whispers loudly back, point his finger in the direction of the other tent, "Be quiet!"

"Maggie," I whisper. She looks up and I toss her shirt I found on at my feet in her direction. She has the sense to look embarrassed. She gets her shirt and we all sort of stay where we are.

"We should all just, um, go to bed," Maggie suggests, looking at me for help.

"Yeah, good idea," I force out.

"Yep."

"Sure, yeah, um. That's a nice idea," Stiles refuses to look in Maggie's direction.

We all settle in our sleeping bags and when Molly makes her way in the tent an hour later, I get the feeling that I'm the only one left awake. When I begin to hear Maggie's mumbling, and the other three stop shifting around and I hear their steady breathes, I know I'm the last awake and I let out a slow breathe. Stiles is so close to me that his breathing is the only thing I can hear, and I am hyper aware of his body heat through our sleeping bags. I remember touching his hand and the spark between us and his eyes and I have no clue what I'm going to do because I think I might like Stiles Stilinski as more than a friend and-

He is letting out a slow breath that turns into a whisper so soft but I hear it just the same, "Lydia."

I like Stiles Stilinski and he is in love with one of my best friends.


	6. Stood up

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm Meg and I just wanted to thank you so much for continuing to read this story. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The day Lydia returns from math camp, she sends out a text inviting a ton of people over to celebrate the end of summer. Basically meaning that she wants to end summer with vodka, and everyone admiring her and her house. Maggie and I are getting ready in Lydia's guest bathroom... which is bigger than the second floor of my house. Maggie is applying sparkly silver eye shadow when she sighs and says, "Oh Jenny, how do you know when you're in love with someone?"

I am shimmying my way into a strapless, backless, dark blue dress borrowed from Maggie's sister, Sara, and the lack of oxygen going to my brain makes me say, "what?" in a shocked, breathless sort of way.

"I mean I know it's only been a few weeks..." Maggie trails off as she takes off the large t-shirt she always wears when applying make-up.

"More like a few seconds..." I mumble as she easily slips into a tight white dress with itty bitty straps that somehow manage to hold up her impressive amount of boobs.

"But maybe... when you know, you know, and I think I _know_ that I love Sco-"

The bathroom door slams open and Lydia enters in a cloud of perfume, "Where have you guys been? I've been looking everywhere!" She is even more attractive than Maggie in a pink, off-the-shoulder, tiny dress and damn it, why aren't I friends with girls that will make me look like the hot one?

"Lydia," I say as Maggie seems to be stunned by being cut off mid-love declaration, "you told us to go in here."

"Jackson is setting up the sound system but someone needs to get out the alcohol, and someone else needs to set up the snack table, and I need to get Prada comfortable in my moms room, so... GET TO IT."

"Lydia!" Maggie's voice stops Lydia's strut out the door, "My hair...," She points to the wet bun on top of her head and Lydia sighs and grabs the hair dryer.

"Jenny, go tell Jackson he has to take care of alcohol and can you _please _get the snacks out?"

"Sure, Master Lydia." I slam the door when I leave the bathroom. Not like I'm in need of Lydia's hair expertise, I straightened the shit out of the mane and my hair has fallen in a shiny curtain to bottom of my rib cage. The dress I borrowed from Sara actually makes my boobs look like they exist and I am only wearing mascara to make my eyes pop. I'm ready to party but ugh, I don't want to spend any time around Jackson, especially when I need this time to mentally prepare myself for Stiles' arrival, on top of the fact that apparently Maggie is in love? The hell.

Jackson is extremely hot, but it's ruined by the fact that he's a huge jerk. That doesn't stop me from admiring his butt as he is on his hands and knees working on the stereo system. "Hey ugly," his head swivels towards me and he rolls his eyes, "Lydia wants you to take care of the alcohol and snacks."

"Uh, kind of busy here, Clark." Jackson is all bark and no bite so I give him an indignant look.

"Busy?" I question. "You're causally moving the plug around to that stereo so you look busy and don't have to do anything."

"Fuck off," he says but goes to take care of the alcohol.

"Snacks, too!"

...

Ten minutes into the party and Maggie is tipsy verging on sloppy when she appears next to me. I'm standing in the kitchen, eating pretzels and guzzling coke and rum. I'm hiding from the three guys from the lacrosse team Lydia is trying to set me up with while at the same time, eyeing the crowd for Stiles (and Scott) who have yet to shown up. I am a paranoid mess, bouncing around on my toes, and looking around every second, twitching my head. Jackson's best friend, Danny Mahealani, gives me curious looks when he sees me twitching and asks if I'm okay. I'm nodding that I'm fine when Maggie rumbles into me.

"Ya know, Jenny," Maggie starts, trying to grab my hand but instead, seeing her boobs almost hanging out, she pulls up the top of her dress, "I just love you. I'm so happy that we're here, at this party, with Lydia, just having a groovy time." Maggie likes to use words like 'groovy' when she's tipsy, which is a lot better than when she's straight up drunk and says stuff like 'alllllllllllllright, lets boooooogy!' eight times in a row. I don't try and tell her that we aren't technically with _with Lydia_ as she doesn't really talk to us at parties as she is too busy being a social butterfly.

"I love you, too, Mags. How much have you had to drink? The party** literally** just started."

"I know," She gives me a big smile, "but I got so nervous about seeing Scott and telling him I" hiccup "love him, that I did like four shots after Lydia did my hair." She smiles even more, "Doesn't my hair look so good, Jenny?" Her hair is big and curly, making her look like some country singer.

"Your hair looks really good, Maggie," Danny cuts in, handing her a cup of water.

"Danny, thank you so much." Maggie loves everything Danny, so I give him a grateful smile as Maggie babbles on and I'm free to continue my paranoid search for Stiles. How is it that Maggie and I best friends fall for two guys who are also best friends? It's straight out of a lifetime movie but said movie doesn't include one guys unrequited love for one of the girls best friends or the entirely too quick confession of love.

I am searching aimlessly for the a mop of dark hair and puppy eyes or the sound of warm laughter and a plaid shirt when I realize how crazy I'm being. I'm acting like a lovesick preteen girl over a guy who I've just gotten closed to this summer, who I just realized I like less than a week ago. What am I doing? I look at Maggie, who is talking excitedly to Danny about her newly discovered love and passion for Scott and I feel the urge to smack her. What is she doing? We were strong, independent women like two months ago! Yeah, I had Evan but I never let him control my feelings like this. I grab Maggie's arm and she yelps as I drag her away from Danny and drag her to the middle of what has been deemed the dance floor.

"Maggie, what are we doing with ourselves?" She is already distracted by the loud music and is laughing at everyone's dancing. "Maggie, look at me!" She looks and rubs her arm. "What are we doing? It's summer and we're spending all our time being co-dependent! We should be dancing all night and having fun and not drinking just because we're nervous!"

I am huffing and puffing with getting my point across and the only words that seemed to get into Maggie's brain were "dancing all night," so she shrieks with happiness and starts dancing close to me. Someone whistles and that someone is Lydia, who's leaning against Jackson and drinking out of a plastic red cup, which she raises in our direction. I roll my eyes and start shaking my hips alongside my best friend. We get through the night by doing shots with random seniors from the various sports teams at our schools and we have to stop Lydia three times from doing a striptease on the coffee table. Maggie doesn't question Scott's absence but I find her staring off into nothing several times. My best friend, who was so sure she was in love, was high off love, seemed to be processing my words from earlier. Along with the fact that her lover man had apparently ditched her, she looks like a kicked puppy during the moments where she lets her guard fall. Dancing with me, she was fine. Dancing with Danny, she was fine. Laughing at Lydia's crude jokes, she seems absolutely fine. But when she is refilling her cup or standing in line for the bathroom, she looks so crestfallen and I wonder how Scott could just not show up.

It's well past midnight when the last straggler exits Lydia's mansion. Lydia herself is curled up on her living room couch, snoring away like a baby and her hand is constantly reaching down to the floor where Jackson is passed out, as if she is reassuring herself he is still there. Maggie and I manage to grin despite how tired we are because since Lydia's on the couch, we get her bed. We make our way upstairs and forget which door is hers. We giggle hysterically when we find Danny sleeping in the guestroom with some hot senior boy, and have to swallow our screams when Prada attacks us when we try to go in Ms. Martin's room. We finally find our way into Lydia's purple bedroom and collapse on her comfy bed. It's too big, even for two people, so we surround ourselves with pillows and cuddle together in the middle. We have just gotten seriously comfortable when the bedroom door opens and Lydia jumps in between us on her bed.

"You bitches though you'd get my bed all to yourselves, didn't you?" She snuggles up against my side and shakes her butt into Maggie's stomach. I shove her away so I can yank the cover over the three of us. We all sigh contently and close our eyes.

It's nice and cozy but I feel the need to ask in a timid voice, "Do you think we party too much?"

Maggie and Lydia whisper in loud voices, "no!" "omg, no way."

It gets quiet again and I am almost sleeping when Maggie starts giggling and says, "Guys, my shoes are still on."

I wake up way to early for someone who went to bed close to five a.m. My cause for waking up is Maggie's cellphone, that non stop buzzes from a text message until you open it. Lydia is awake, too, and takes care in hitting Maggie in the face so she'll handle it. Maggie lifts her head from one of the pillows, her hair all messed up, but she is still too cute to be real. I sigh and Maggie shrieks.

"It's Scott. He wants me to call him!" She rolls out of bed, dragging the covers off, and she goes into the hallway.

Lydia mumbles something about inconsiderate best friends and yanks the covers back on the bed, snuggling into them and holding them up to her chin. I stretch my toes under the covers and put them on Lydia's calves. She flips out because she hates my cold feet and feet in general. We are almost asleep again when Maggie rushes back in the room, way too loudly. We stare at her and wait for her to speak, and when she doesn't, Lydia blows some stray hairs away from her face and says, "Well?"

Maggie crawls back on the bed, "He said some annoying excuse about not being able to come because he and Stiles were practicing for lacrosse and he can't hang out tonight because he 'wants to get a good night's sleep for the first day of school.' He may want a good night's sleep but I want to make out!"

Lydia pats her arm and gives her a sympathetic smile... and then falls back asleep.

"Look at it like this," Maggie looks at me with narrowed eyes, "you get a good night's sleep now, too?"

Maggie turns her back to me and I shrug. Whatever, I fall back to sleep with no trouble.


End file.
